THE HISTORY OF FOUNDATION AND ACTIVITY OF REGIONAL (GUBERNIAL) BUREAU OF CADASTRE IN BESSARABIA (1818-1890)

Valentin TOMULEŢ Universitatea de Stat din Moldova

Abstract

In this article, based on unpublished archival documents, the author examines the steps taken by the Russian imperial administration in the establishment and operation of Regional Bureau of Cadastre in Bessarabia. Established under the Regulation on the administrative organization of Bessarabia region of 29 April 1818, for topographical description of the land properties of Bessarabia, the Bureau was composed of a President, four members elected by the Members of the nobility, but confirmed by the Supreme Council of Bessarabia, and a regional cadastral engineer, chosen by the Crown and confirmed by the military governor. In the subordination of the Bureau there were three committees of cadastre – Orhei, Iasi and Hotin, consisting of a member of the Regional Bureau of Cadastre, two county cadastre engineers and an arbitrator from each owner, whose land was described. Although the activity of Gubernial Bureau of Cadastre of Bessarabia was going hard towards the end of the 80s of the 19th century, the topographic description of Bessarabia, in fact, had been completed. On January 1, 1891, due to the completion of the surveying of land properties in Bessarabia, the work of the Bureau of Cadastre of Bessarabia was suspended. Unfinished files with reference to the general topographical description of Bessarabia were sent to Chisinau Court for further settlement. Keywords: Bureau of Cadastre, terrain description, the Supreme Council of Bessarabia, Bessarabia, imperial policy.